Chair.



0. A. BUFFINGTON.

CHAIR.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1911.

1,023,? 17. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEBT l.

G. A. BUFFINGTON.

CHAIR.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1911.

willmmw TINTTED STATiEfi PATENT @FFTQE.

CALVIN A. BUFFINGTON, 0F BERKSHIRE, NEW YORK.

CHAIR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN A. BUFFING- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berkshire, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to chairs, and more particularly to the class of foldable chairs.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a chair in which the legs or feet thereof will be sustained either folded or unfolded, and also the seat may be sus tained either in raised, vertical or lowered horizontal position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a chair in which on pressing upon the back sectionl thereof, the seat will be automatically folded, and upon pulling on the back section, said seat will be raised to position for accommodating an occupant, the seat being capable of being raised into substantially parallel relation to the back section when the chair is not to be occupied, thus permitting freedom in passing around the chair.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a chair which is simple in construction, capable of being readily and compactly folded, possessing maximum strength and durability, and that may be manufactured at a minimum expense.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair constructed in accordance with the invention, the same being in position to be occupied. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same folded. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the chair when in position to be occupied. Fig. 4 is a view, looking toward the bottom face of the seatwhen in position for occupancy. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the chair with the seat raised.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the chair comprises the vertical side bars 5, each of which is provided, adjacent to its lower end, with a pair of closely associated open- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 20, 1911.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912. Serial No. 650,307.

ings 6 and 7. The openings 6 receive the horizontally disposed pintle portions 8 at the extremities of the side rods 9 of a front leg or foot frame 10. The openings 7 receive the horizontally disposed pintle portions 11 of the side rods 12 of the rear leg or foot frame 13, the pintle portions 8 and 11 of the front and rear frames 10 and 13, respectively, serving as stops to limit the swinging movement of the frames when spread apart, as the portions 8 of the front frame engage with the side rods 12 of the rear frame, and likewise the portions 11 of said rear frame engage with the side rods 9 of the front frame, when the same have been swung outwardly from each other for supporting the chair.

The vertical side bars 5 are connected by means of a horizontal cross brace or union rod 14:, the ends thereof being threaded and passed through suitable openings formed medially in the side bars and carry am nuts 15 which bind against opposite faces of the side bars for securing the rods 14 thereto.

Swingingly connected to the upper ends of the side bars 5 is a seat'supporting yoke or frame 16, the ends of which are inturned to form pintles 17 which are engaged in suitable apertures 18 formed in the upper ends of the side bars 5 and connected with the said frame 16 is a foldable seat 19, the same being provided near its forward edge with bearings 20, through which is passed the frame 16, thereby swingingly connecting the seat to the frame, the said bearings 20 being disposed upon the under face of the seat.

Formed in the side bars 5 spaced below and slightly forwardly of the apertures 18 are further apertures 21, in which are e11- gaged the inturned pintle extremities 22 of a swinging back section formed from a frame 23, the latter being bent medially thereof to provide a central substantially U-shaped portion 24, and adjustably con nected with the side bars 25 of the frame 23 is a back rest 26, which is formed at its rear face with a yoke 27 engageable with the U-shaped portion 2 1 of the frame 23. The said rest 26 may be raised or lowered upon the frame to suit the fancy of the occupant of the chair, the pintle extremities 22 being designed to serve as bearings for the rear portion of the seat 19, when in position to be occupied.

Fixed to or formed integral with the inturned pintle extremities 22 are cam projections 28 which are adapted to engage wearing plates or strips 29 fixed to the under face of the seat 19 in alinement therewith, so that upon pulling upon the back frame 23, the said cam projections 28 will contact with the wearing plates or strips 29 and force the seat 19 to folded position.

Fixed to the seat 19 at the under face thereof, near opposite sides, are abutment strips 30, the rear ends of which are adapted to engage with the inturned pintle extremities 22 for preventing the seat from lowering or becoming folded. However, on pulling upon the back frame 23, the cams 28 will raise the rear end of the seat 19, so as to disengage the abutment strips 30 from the pintle extremities 22 and automatically move the seat into folded position. The back frame 23 has its side bars 25 bent to provide off-sets 31 which permit the back frame to be folded against the seat 19, after the latter has been folded, thus enabling the chair to be folded into compact form.

Secured in the under face of the seat 19, near the rear end thereof, at a medial point of the same, is an eye 32, to which is connected one end of a coiled retractile spring 33, the opposite end thereof being connected with the reinforcing rod 12, and this spring is designed to sustain the wearing plates 29 in contact with the cams 28, and also to bring the abutment strips 30 into engagement with the inturned pintle extremities 22 of the frame 23, when the seat has been swung to position to be occupied.

Formed on one side bar 5, at the lower end thereof, are spaced reversely directed outwardly curved locking fingers 342, which are adapted to engage the side rods 12 and 14 of the front and rear leg frames 10 and 13, respectively, for locking them in separated position, or when brought together for the folding of the chair.

What is claimed is:

1. A chair comprising spaced members, a seat frame pivotally connected to the upper ends of the members and adapted to be folded to lie at times in parallel relation to the members and at times at right angles thereto, a seat pivotally supported by the frame, a back section pivotally connected to the said members and having inturned ends adapted to be engaged by the seat when at right angles to the said members, and cams formed on the inturned ends of the back section and acting upon the seat for automatically folding the same on pulling upon said back section.

2. A chair, comprising spaced members, a seat frame pivotally connected to the upper ends of the members and adapted to be folded to lie at times in parallel relation to the members and at times at right angles thereto, a seat pivotally supported'by the frame, a back section pivotally connected to the said members and having inturned ends adapted to be engaged by the seat when at right angles to the said members, cams formed on the inturned ends of the back section and acting upon the seat for automatically folding the same on pulling upon said back section, and means connected with the members and the seat for sustaining the latter in contact with the cams.

3. A chair, comprising spaced members, a seat frame pivotally connected to the upper ends of the members and adapted to be folded to lie at times in parallel relation to the members and at times at right angles thereto, a seat pivotally supported by the frame, a back section .pivotally connected to the said members and having inturned ends adapted to be engaged by the seat when at right angles to the said members, cams formed on the inturned ends of the back section and acting upon the seat for automatically folding the same on pulling upon said back section, means connected with the members and the seat for sustaining the latter in contact with the cams, and means on the under face of the seat and engageable with the inturned ends of the back section for preventing the seat from lowering when disposed at right angles to the members.

4. A chair, comprising spaced members, a seat frame pivotally connected to the upper ends of the members and adapted to be folded to lie at times in parallel relation to the members and at times at right angles thereto, a seat pivotally supported by the frame, a back section pivotally connected to the said members and having inturned ends adapted to be engaged by the seat when at right angles to the said members, cams formed on the inturned ends of the back section and acting upon the seat for automatically folding the same on pulling upon said back section, means connected with the members and the seat for sustaining the latter in contact with the cams, means on the under face of the seat and engageable with the inturned ends of the back section for preventing the seat from lowering when disposed at right angles to the members, and wearing plates secured to the under face of the frame in alinement with the cams for engagement therewith.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CALVIN A. BUFFINGTON.

Vitnesses:

R. H. GoonnLL, S. S. DERVITT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

